Albus Potter and The Untold Prophecy
by PJ XD
Summary: It's nineteen years after the Battle of Hogwarts, and Albus Severus Potter is starting his first year, with his new friend Scorpius and his favourite cousin Rose. Little does he know that everyone's favourite Divination teacher has a few accurate predictions for him that will soon come to light... perhaps, we find, the wizarding world isn't as safe as we once thought.
1. 1 Through the Barrier

**Chapter 1**

Through The Barrier

"Al," James whispered seriously, keeping his voice low so as not to tip off our mother, who was lagging a little behind us. "I reckon that green will go really well with your eyes."

I frowned at my brother, not quite catching on to what he meant. Suddenly, it clicked, and my eyes – a copy of my grandmother's famous eyes – narrowed suspiciously.

"James, I will not be in Slytherin!" I hissed. Just when I had driven the last niggling doubt from my mind, James had to go and make me worry all over again.

"Well, you don't know that," he replied reasonably. "Don't count your basilisks before they're hatched, little brother."

"I won't! I won't be in Slytherin!" I yelled, suddenly losing my temper. It annoyed me no end to hear the pleading note in my voice as I said it.

"James, give it a rest!" Mum said wearily from a pace or so behind us.

"I only said he _might_ be!" James protested innocently. "There's nothing wrong with that! He _might_ be in Slyth-"

One look from our mother quelled the rest of his sentence. Instead of saying anything further, James threw me a traitorous look and ran ahead, sinking through the barrier between platforms nine and ten without a second's pause. None of the muggles bustling past even blinked at his disappearance.

With my brother momentarily absent, I decided to make the most of the brief time alone with my parents (Lily didn't count). Wheeling around, I looked towards them with anxious eyes. "You will write to me, won't you?"

Mum smiled. "Every day, if you want us to." I could tell that she was serious from the concern in her big brown eyes.

"Not _every_ day," I hedged. "James says most people only get letters from home about once a month."

"We wrote to James three times a week last year," Mum disagreed, and I suddenly felt a little better.

"And I wouldn't believe everything James tells you about Hogwarts, Al. He likes a laugh, your brother," Dad chipped in, nodding his head wisely.

I nodded back, smiling for the first time all morning. If James had been lying about that, then maybe I wouldn't have to wrestle a troll on my first day like he said…

Dad grabbed hold of my trolley, too, and we quickened our pace. I screwed up my eyes, waiting for the crunch of metal on brick.

I hadn't even noticed that I'd walked through the barrier until I was standing on the other side of it. I glanced along the length of the busy platform, but the thick steam obscured my vision further than a yard or so in every direction. Dad tapped me on the shoulder and nodded towards the far right end of the platform, and we began to walk, me shuffling closer to his side.

All around me was the chatter of excited voices, and particularly loudly, Uncle Percy, clearly boring the pants off Molly's friends, as he rambled on about broomstick regulations or something equally dull. I tugged Lily past him quickly, hoping that the steam didn't clear enough for him to recognise us. A quick wink from my dad told me that he was thinking the same thing.

"Where are they?" I muttered, feeling the anxiety growing in my stomach. Rose had promised she would be on the platform and we would get the train together. She had _promised_.

"We'll find them," Mum said reassuringly, rubbing my shoulder like she used to when I was little.

We took a few more steps, and the mist seemed to thin slightly.

"Al," Mum called, "I think that's them!"

Hope flooded through my chest, and, sure enough, when I squinted through the haze, I could see four very familiar figures.

Abandoning my trolley to my mother, I ran the last few feet, stopping at the side of the curly-haired ginger girl who suddenly looked very important in her Hogwarts robes. I grinned at my cousin, finally feeling a bit of confidence.

"Hi," I breathed.

Rose grinned.

"Parked all right, then?" I could hear Uncle Ron saying to Dad. It sounded really distant, as the fear started to settle back in. "I did. Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have to Confund the examiner."

"No, I didn't," came Aunt Hermione's far away reply. "I had complete faith in you."

I was vaguely aware of Dad and Uncle Ron disappearing onto the scarlet steam engine. They were moving all my stuff onto the train.

This was it.

"You okay, Al?" Lily mumbled from her place beside Hugo, Rose's little brother. "You look funny."

I pulled a face at her, determined not to let her see that I was scared. From the little smile that Rose gave me, I could tell that she was nervous too.

"I think I'll be in Ravenclaw, when I go," Hugo said confidently to Lily, puffing out his chest in an uncanny imitation of Uncle Percy. "I'm smart enough."

"HA!" My sister crowed. "Yeah, right! I'll end up in Gryffindor, and so will you. It's the family tradition!"

"No, not anymore!" Hugo argued. "Look at Vicky, she's in Ravenclaw! So's Dom! And Teddy and Louis are in Hufflepuff, and Molly's in Ravenclaw, and it's only really Fred and James and Roxy that are in Gryffindor, so I reckon that…"

"Lucy'll be in Hufflepuff when she goes," Lily interjected. "But you and me won't. Trust me."

I felt, rather than saw, Uncle Ron and Dad rejoin us.

"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you. But no pressure," Uncle Ron put in, and the younger two burst out laughing.

I chanced a glance at Rose, and saw that she looked as sick as I felt.

"He doesn't mean it," Mum and Aunt Hermione chorused, catching sight of our faces, no doubt. Uncle Ron was no longer paying enough attention to what we were talking about to input anything further.

"Look who it is."

Although his words were aimed for my father, we all looked around. There, standing just through the thinned out mist, was a tall man with a pale, pointed face and white-blond hair, hands resting on the shoulders of a boy who looked like him in miniature. The man looked up, caught my father's eye, and nodded. Suddenly, I placed his picture from the paper the other day. Draco Malfoy.

"So that's little Scorpius," Uncle Ron whispered. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited you mother's brains."

"Ron, for heaven's sake," Aunt Hermione sighed, in that special tone she reserves for my uncle in moments like these, "don't try and turn them against each other before they've even started school!"

"You're right, sorry," Uncle Ron responded contritely. He struggled with himself for a moment before adding, "don't get _too_ friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pure-blood."

Aunt Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Hey!" James suddenly appeared, as instantaneously as though he had just apparated, which I wouldn't put past him. "Teddy's back there, just seen him! And guess what he's doing? _Snogging Victoire_!"

He glanced around at our parents and aunt and uncle, looking crestfallen when none of them batted an eyelid. Clearly, they knew.

"_Our _Teddy! _Teddy Lupin_! Snogging _our_ Victoire! _Our_ cousin! And I asked Teddy what he was doing-"

"You interrupted them?" My mother interrupted, ironically, "You are _so_ like Ron…"

"And he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He's _snogging_ her!" James continued as though Mum hadn't spoken.

"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!" Lily squeaked. "Teddy would _really_ be part of the family then!"

"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week, why don't we just invite him to live with us and have done with it?" Dad said dryly.

"Yeah!" James enthused, missing the sarcasm. "I don't mind sharing with Al – Teddy could have my room!"

I liked how I wasn't given a vote on the sleeping arrangements.

"No, you and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished," Dad replied firmly, and I breathed an internal sigh of relief. Dad glanced at his watch.

"It's nearly eleven, you'd better get on board."

The last statement was directed at James, Rose and I. We shared a nervous glance, which was thankfully overlooked by my big brother.

"Don't forget to give Neville our love!" Mum said as she gave James her customary flowery-smelling hug.

"Mum! I can't give a professor love!" James looked appalled.

"But you _know_ Neville!"

James did an eye-roll that was worthy of Aunt Hermione.

"Outside, yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he? I can't just walk into Herbology and give him _love_…"

He shook his head wearily, as though Mum was the stupid one, and then swung round with the speed of a seeker to aim a hard kick at my shins. I winced.

"See you later, Al. Watch out for Thestrals."

Another fresh wave of panic crashed over me. He laughed at my expression, stood still while Mum gave him a kiss, grabbed Dad for a quick hug, and ruffled Lily's hair.

"I thought they were invisible? _You said they were invisible_!" I yelled after his retreating back as he disappeared onto the train.

Dad smiled down at me. "Thestrals are nothing to worry about. They're gentle things, there's nothing scary about them. Anyway, you won't be going up to school in the carriages, you'll be going in the boats."

Mum stooped to give me a kiss on the forehead.

"See you at Christmas."

I swallowed around the sudden lump in my throat.

"Bye Al," Dad said, as I gave him a tight hug. "Don't forget Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday. Don't mess with Peeves. Don't duel anyone until you've learned how. And don't let James wind you up."

Easier said than done. I wrestled with the question burning on my tongue for a moment, before finally giving in.

"What if I'm in Slytherin?" I whispered.

Dad looked at me carefully for a moment, then sank into a crouch so that he was at my eye level.

"Albus Severus," he said seriously, and I knew from that tone that whatever he was about to say, he meant. "You were named after two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

That was nice, and all, but it didn't do much to comfort me. "But _just say_…"

"Then Slytherin house will have gained an excellent student, won't it? It doesn't matter to us, Al, but if it matters to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."

"Really?" I didn't buy it.

"It did for me."

My eyes widened. My dad, _Harry Potter_, the vanquisher of Lord Voldemort, hero of the masses, was nearly a _Slytherin_?

The train doors around me started to slam before I had had the chance to properly process what my dad had said, and next thing I knew, Mum was ushering me onto the train. She slammed the door behind me and I leaned out the window, Rose at my side.

Everyone's heads, I noticed for the first time, were craned in our direction. Another swell of fear came over me. Were people going to act like that at school?

"Why are they all _staring_?" I demanded hotly.

"Don't let it worry you," came Uncle Ron's airy voice. "It's me. I'm extremely famous."

I laughed, and suddenly felt a bit lighter than I had a few minutes beforehand. The train jolted, and started to move, but Dad was still walking alongside me, waving. As we gathered speed, I watched him shrink, until we rounded the corner and he disappeared entirely.

"Well," Rose began, squaring her skinny shoulders. "Shall we find a compartment?"

"As long as we don't have to sit with James and Fred," I muttered darkly, and followed her as she strode off down the train in search of an empty place to sit.

After a few moments – and after we'd peered in at a group of fifth year Ravenclaws that included our second-oldest cousin, Dominique - Rose stopped at a compartment that appeared to be empty.

She wrapped her hands around the handle and shoved, but the door barely budged. I choked back a laugh at the look of concentration on her face, but sobered up when she turned around and gave me a death glare with her bright blue eyes.

"Rosie, do you need a hand?" I couldn't resist. She gave one last heave on the door, shook her head at me and ducked into the compartment.

When I entered, I noticed that Rose had stopped dead, and was staring into the far corner. I followed her gaze and saw that we weren't alone in the compartment after all.

His face was covered up by the thick textbook he was reading (Hogwarts: A Revised History) but from the shock of messy, white-blond hair I knew who it would be. The Malfoy boy.

He glanced up, and his eyes doubled in size.

"Hi," he murmured.

"Hello, do you mind if we sit here?" Rose said immediately, and I got a sudden urge to smile. I had a feeling that even if he did mind, we'd have sat down anyway. He shook his head.

He looked lonely, and nervous, and in a worse position even than us.

"I'm Al, Al Potter, and this is Rose Weasley," I introduced helpfully.

"Scorpius Malfoy," he mumbled.

"Are you Draco Malfoy's son then?" I asked, like I didn't already know. His reaction wasn't what I'd expected. He looked suddenly sad, and a bit wary.

"I'm sure everyone's heard my name before."

I shrugged. "Everyone's heard my name too, don't worry about it."

He looked at me like I was missing something obvious. "You're dad was a war hero, Potter. Mine was a Death Eater."

There was a really uncomfortable silence that stretched between us then, broken only by Rosie's attempt at making him feel better.

"But it's different… it's different now."

"Maybe for you, Rose."

I searched my brain desperately for something to say, and came up blank. Instead, I sat down opposite him, twiddling my thumbs as I watched his downtrodden face.

"Okay, how about this?" Rose declared, causing both of us to look round at her. "I'll be Rose, and you be Scorpius, and Al will be Albus. No last names, no bad memories. Deal?"

She was so bossy as she said it that neither of us dared to disagree with her. Scorpius shot me an alarmed look, and I responded with a grin. It was so like Rose to start ordering everyone about.

"Deal," Scorpius agreed.

"Deal," I echoed.

The awkwardness seemed to melt away after that. When the trolley came around, I ordered as much food as I could carry, and the others did the same. We talked happily as we munched our way through an entire bag of liquorice wands, and were busy swapping chocolate frog cards when the compartment door slid open again.

I looked up, and felt instantly wary. James and Fred were stepping through the doorway, wicked humour sparkling in their eyes. Fred flattened his dark brown hair and glanced at Scorpius in puzzlement.

"Aw, look. Ally's made a friend," James sang, helping himself to a pumpkin pasty.

Fred grinned, white teeth gleaming against his mocha skin. "N'aww. Bless."

Scorpius was watching my brother and his partner in crime with apprehension, like he wasn't sure if they were kidding or not.

They were. As always.

"What are you ickle firsties chatting about anyway?" James asked interestedly, ruffling Rose's hair in that way she absolutely hates. "Sorting?"

The evil glint was back in his eye, but Dad's advice acted as some sort of magical protection against his taunts.

"No, actually. Quidditch," I replied loftily.

Fred snorted. "I bet Rosie loves this conversation."

It was a well known fact that Rose was the only member of our family who was truly terrible at Quidditch. The next worst was Vicky, but even she liked to watch it.

"I don't mind," she lied, and we three all raised our eyebrows at her.

"I didn't know you didn't like Quidditch," Scorpius addressed her softly. "We didn't have to talk about it, you should have said."

Rose looked a little uncomfortable, but pleased at the same time.

"No, it's fine. Really."

"What house do you want to be in, then, dear little cousins? And what about you… uh…?"

"Scorpius," Scorpius supplied when Fred gave him the opportunity.

"Gryffindor," said Rose at once. "Like the rest of the family."

"I hope Al's not. Imagine being stuck in the same common room as you all year!" James teased, looking aghast at the thought. I reached across to punch him, but he dodged me easily.

"I want to be in Gryffindor, even if it does mean seeing your ugly face every day," I told him, looking him balefully in the eye.

"Oooo… temper, temper, little brother."

"I do, too."

Scorpius's murmur was so quiet, we almost didn't hear him. Fred was watching him with an almost appraising look on his face, but James frowned.

"I would've thought you wanted Slytherin," he said bluntly. "Seeing as you're a Malfoy."

Scorpius's cheeks turned faintly pink, but he didn't break James' gaze. "Well, I'm different. It's different now."

Rose smiled slightly as he repeated her earlier words. Even James seemed slightly impressed at his nerve.

"Okay, Malfoy, then I wish you the best of luck. Except you, Albus. I don't wish you anything." Swatting me around the head for good measure, my brother bounded out of the carriage. Fred shot me a wink and followed him, sliding the door shut afterwards.

"Do you really want to be in Gryffindor?" I asked, as soon as we three were alone again.

"Yeah," Scorpius replied. "I think it's time a Malfoy broke the tradition."

"Wherever we end up, I hope we're together," I declared, and he grinned at me. I felt the sudden bond of real friendship, invisible but very _there_. Suddenly, I wasn't worried about what the school could throw at me. I'd made my first friend.

Rose was peering out of the window at the rapidly darkening sky.

"I think we'll be there soon. You two better change into your robes."

She left the compartment as we pulled our robes on, both of us speculating about what the Sorting consisted of. We knew about the hat, but still… I confided in Scorpius about what James had told me – that we'd have to fight a troll. He laughed, and told me that that was probably illegal.

"Yeah, I'm starting to think that pretty much everything James told me wasn't true," I admitted, admiring myself in the half-reflection of the train window as I straightened my tie.

"It sounds like it. It seems like he likes to wind you up."

"Yeah, he's my brother. That's what they do."

Scorpius looked wistful for a moment. "I wish I knew. I don't have any brothers or sisters."

I blinked at him, surprised. I couldn't imagine a world in which I didn't have my brother and sister, not to mention about a million and one cousins.

A big family was all I knew.

"What's that like?" I wondered. "Not having to share everything?"

Scorpius gave me a long look that I couldn't understand. "Lonely," he admitted eventually.

It was only then that I realised that Scorpius had probably been lonely for his whole life. I didn't know what to say, but thankfully I was spared from having to answer by the sudden jerk of the train to a halt.

"We're here!" I cried excitedly, and he grinned back, all depressing conversation forgotten.

Rose's head poked back into the compartment. "Are you two coming or what?" she demanded. We exchanged a glance, and then followed her.

It was a three-person effort to get all of our luggage off the train. Scorpius had brought his new snowy owl, Augustus, who had somehow managed to remain asleep as he was jostled onto the platform, head tucked under one wing.

Rose dropped the end of the last of our trunks, standing on tiptoe and craning her neck to try and see over the heads of the older students, despite being the shortest of the three of us.

"Where's Hagrid?" she muttered, mostly to herself, but a second later we heard a booming shout from behind us.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! Firs' years ter me! C'mon, this way!"

"I found him," I said weakly. In the month it had been since I last saw him, I had forgotten how huge he actually was. Twice the size and three times the width of a normal man, he towered over even the tallest students, swinging a lantern the size of a large rucksack.

"Whoa!" Scorpius exclaimed when he caught sight of him.

"Hagrid!" Rose was already skipping off in his direction.

"Hey, there yeh two!" Hagrid greeted jovially when I had joined Rose. "How're yer parents?"

"They're good," Rose gushed. "Hagrid, is it true that we're going to see the giant squid if we cross in the boats, because Molly said…"

"Maybe. I dunno ter be honest, though, Rosie, it's lookin' pretty smooth sailin' tonight. He on'y tends ter come out when it's rough."

Rose looked immensely disappointed.

"Hagrid, this is Scorpius," I told him, pointing to the boy at my side. Hagrid grinned down at him, and Scorp gave him a nervous smile in return.

"Nice ter meet yeh, son."

"You, too," he replied.

"Righ' then. Best be off." He looked around, and I copied him, surprised to find that we were now surrounded by a lot of scared-looking faces.

Hagrid turned on his heels, lantern swinging dangerously, and began to lead the way out of the little station. I tugged on Rose and Scorpius' sleeves, pulling them back a step.

"This is it," I whispered, excitement and nerves warring for dominance in my voice.

"We're going to Hogwarts!" Scorpius half-sang.

"I can't believe it!" Rose gabbled.

All three of us just stood there for a moment, sharing a moment of pure excitement and wonder. I had dreamed about this for years, and finally, finally it was here, and I had not one, but two people to share it with.

A trio of our very own making.

"Yeh three! Hurry up!"

**A/N: This story is not going to be canon with my other fics, but it will be still about the adventures of Albus, Scorpius and Rose. Also, some characters from my other fics will creep up in this one. **

**PJ **

**x**


	2. 2 Breaking the Mould

**Chapter 2**

_Breaking the Mould_

The line of first years waited nervously in the entrance hall, standing closer to each other than strangers normally would. Rose, Scorpius and I had formed a tight little unit, and I saw Kian Finnigan and Ryan Thomas muttering to each other under their breath, casting nervous glances at the back of Scorpius' head, as though they thought he would jinx them if they stood too close. I shot them both a glare.

"First years, over here, please!" came a friendly voice, and Rosie and I swung around to see none other than Professor Neville Longbottom, head of Gryffindor house and deputy Headmaster, beckoning us forward into a chamber adjacent to the Great Hall.

He caught my eye and winked as the three of us passed him.

The door closed behind us all with a quiet thud. Neville turned to the room at large, a huge grin stretched across his stubbly cheeks.

"Welcome! Welcome to Hogwarts, everyone! Now, before we all go into the Hall and face the rest of the students… I thought I should just quickly explain what it is that the sorting ceremony entails. Don't worry – it's not scary – it's not as though you'll be wrestling trolls…"

Here, his brown eyes rested on me, and from the twinkle in them, I could tell that Neville had guessed what my brother dearest had been telling me. "All you have to do is try on the sorting hat. Easy, right? The hat will decide which house you belong in. No tests or exams necessary."

"What are the houses?" piped up a tiny girl with a long blonde plait down her back. I'd never seen her before, so I assumed she must be a muggle born.

"Ah, the hat will explain it all," Neville replied cheerfully. "But they're called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Now, follow me everyone, and good luck!"

Neville spun on his heel and reopened the chamber door, herding us all out again. Nervously, we filed out, and through the now open doors of the Great Hall, emerging into a sea of curious faces.

If I hadn't been so worried, I would've marvelled at the huge hall, lit by candles floating a foot above the student's heads. I would have maybe stopped to stare at the ceiling, where stars were winking down at me out of the velvety blackness. As it was, all my efforts were going to putting one foot in front of the other. At the teacher's table, I could see a couple of familiar faces, but their features were oddly indistinct, as though I were looking at them from a great distance.

My gaze was focuses solely on the battered stool and the frayed old hat that sat upon it.

"Look how tiny they are!" I heard someone exclaim as we passed.

Neville stopped at the side of the hat, unfurling a scroll of parchment and clearing his throat. An anticipatory silence fell over the students as they turned to watch. I waited, wondering what was going to happen next, when a rip near the brim of the hat opened wide and it burst into song.

_So, now, we reach another year,_

_With Hogwarts standing strong,_

_And sorting is – as ever was,_

_Dividing from the throng,_

_But now, I think, it must be said,_

_To students who are new,_

_That as I sort the green from red,_

_The yellow from the blue,_

_I split you - not to cause a rift, _

_Nor spurn the ancient hate,_

_It is your traits through which I sift,_

_To help you all be great,_

_For if you value loyalty,_

_As highest in esteem,_

_Then Hufflepuff's the place for you,_

_You'll work hard in their team,_

_Or maybe you are quick of wit,_

_And Ravenclaw's your place,_

_With clever folks is where you'll fit,_

_And find your rightful space,_

_Perhaps, again your cunning mind,_

_Will lend you to Slytherin,_

_A craftier bunch you'll never find,_

_Great power from within,_

_Or yet, if that is not for you,_

_And you're the braver sort,_

_Then Gryffindor's the place for you,_

_A fine place to consort,_

_Well, there you have it, Houses four,_

_That make our Hogwarts swell,_

_So place me now atop your head,_

_Where you belong I'll tell!_

The hat finished its song, and the entire hall burst into applause. The hat gave a bow, then sat back, looking inanimate once more. Neville clapped along for a moment, before straightening the scroll and turning to face the students, a slight smile on his face.

"When I call your name, you will step forward and try on the sorting hat. Once it has decided, you can then join the rest of your house."

"Ackerley, Stephen!" he called. A skinny boy with mousy hair stumbled forwards and rushed to sit on the stool. It was with violently trembling hands that he jammed the hat onto his head – it slid down over his eyes.

The hat stayed quiet for a moment, deliberating, before the rip opened once more and it shouted "RAVENCLAW!"

There was an outburst of cheering from the table second from the left. Stephen Ackerley pulled off the hat, handed it to Neville and half-ran to the table.

"Avery, Sophronia!"

A very pretty girl with huge brown eyes skipped forwards nervously, grabbing the hat from Neville and jamming it on her head. She swung her legs back and forth on the stool as she waited for the hat to make a decision.

"SLYTHERIN!"

The table second from the right screamed with enthusiastic cheers as the pretty girl ran to join them. I watched as a boy I knew James hated patted her on the back and offered her some pumpkin juice.

"Braddock, Katherine!"

The next girl stepped forwards.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table on the right cheered loudly. It went on for a few more names, until 'Corner, Laurel' became the first new Gryffindor. I watched James and Fred as they began chanting rapturously at the table on the far left.

The line of first years was thinning, slowly, and I felt my legs start to tremble. Rose was gripping my hand so tightly that I thought I might lose a finger.

"Finch-Fletchley, Martin!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Finnigan, Kian!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Flint, Rowan!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Fuller, Violet!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

And so it went on, until…

"Goyle, Ferdinand!"

There was a slight titter from the older students as Ferdinand Goyle lumbered up towards the hat. I saw Scorpius's face drain of colour.

"SLYTHERIN!"

The line dwindled through the 'J's and 'L's, and I could feel Scorpius starting to fidget next to me.

"Macmillan, Honoria!"

Honoria, a girl I knew in passing, bustled up to the hat, a smile all over her face.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

I saw Louis throw an arm round Honoria as she sat down, and begin chatting animatedly with her.

"Malfoy, Scorpius!" called Neville.

The entire hall fell silent, as though everyone was holding their breaths. Then, as Scorpius gave me a nervous smile and stepped forwards, the muttering began.

"Malfoy, did he say?"

"_Malfoy_?"

Scorpius had everyone's undivided attention as he shakily climbed the three steps to put the hat on his head.

The silence seemed to stretch on for eternity, until…

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat bellowed.

The hall was too stunned to react for a moment, before they burst into incredulous applause. There were a few jeers from the Slytherin table as Scorpius passed them, but he kept his head high and strode over to the waiting Gryffindors, a huge smile of relief on his face.

'Montague, Celestica' became a Slytherin, as did 'Nott, Dashell'. Then 'Olbury, Saskia' became a Hufflepuff and finally…

"Potter, Albus!"

"Go on, Al!" I heard James yell from my left. Feeling sicker than I had ever felt in my life, I moved forwards, willing my knees not to tremble.

The hat fell over my eyes as it was placed on my head, obscuring the rest of the hall from view. I waited for a moment, stomach churning, before a quiet voice sounded in my ear.

_Potter, eh? Well, fancy that. _

_ What am I meant to do? _I thought at the hat, feeling ridiculous.

_ Nothing, my boy. It's all down to me. Now, let's see… you've certainly got the smarts, but I think you lack the application for Ravenclaw, yes… and you're plenty loyal, but Hufflepuff isn't the place for you… hmmm. _

_ Are you going to put me in Slytherin?_ I thought, quaking a little at the thought.

_ Do you want me to?_ Was the hat's reply.

_ No, I want to be with my friend, Scorpius, in Gryffindor._

_It's a good thing that's where I wanted to put you in the first place, isn't it? _The hat let me feel my relief for a second or two, before opening its mouth and shouting…

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Beaming, I slid off the stool and crossed to sit beside Scorpius to rapturous applause. Scorp grinned at me in triumph, before turning to stare at Rose with a slight frown on his face. I found James's eye in the crowd around me and gave him a thumbs-up. He nodded, and clapped me silently.

Once 'Smith, Caspar' and 'Thomas, Ryan' had been made Hufflepuffs, much to Kian's consternation, and 'Timons, Selene' was sorted into Ravenclaw, it was time for the 'W's.

'Warburton, Demetrius' was named a Ravenclaw, too.

"Weasley, Rose!"

I gripped my goblet very tightly as I watched Rose step forwards to try on the hat. Scorpius was chewing his nails as he waited. I sucked in a deep breath, and the hat's brim opened wide…

"GRYFFINDOR!"

My cheers and Scorpius's were lost in amongst the crowd as Rosie ran over to us. She pulled me into a tight hug of joy, and then turned to do the same to Scorpius. He blushed a little as she let him go, and we shuffled up to make room for her between us.

As 'Wood, Dylan' joined us at the Gryffindor table, and 'Zabini, Phineas' scampered off to join the Ravenclaws, all chatter died down as the Headmistress, Professor Fortescue, stood up, her waist length black hair glittering in the candlelight almost as much as her incredibly blue eyes. James had said before that Sabina Fortescue, now in her late forties, was once a seven-time winner of Witch Weekly's most charming smile award, and now, looking at her standing there in her silver robes, beaming at us all, I could see why.

"Welcome, to all students, new and old! Another year at Hogwarts approaches, and I guarantee, it will be a full one! Firstly, let me welcome our newest member of staff, Professor Lee Jordan, who will be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts this year."

There was a loud cheer from the Gryffindor table, particularly from Fred and James, for Uncle George's long-time best friend. Professor Jordan stood, bowed cheerfully, and flicked his dreadlocks from his eyes as he sat back down.

"I believe that Mr. Filch would like me to remind you all that any item purchased from that delightful shop, Weasleys Wizard Wheezes, is banned, as are an extensive number of other things," Professor Fortescue continued. "Should any of you be inexplicably struck by the urge to go and check what else is prohibited, you will find the full list of five-hundred-and-forty-two items on the door to his office. Now, I feel compelled to remind you also, that the Forbidden Forest is strictly out of bounds – Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter; that applies to you, too." Here, she paused to shoot my brother and Fred a wry smile. "And there is to be no duelling in the corridors between classes. If you wish to duel, I suggest the trophy room on the third floor in the wee hours of the morning. Be warned, though, it's likely you'll get caught. Let the feast begin!"

She spread her arms wide, and suddenly the plates in front of us all were piled with food. Laughing, joking, the students around us dug in, eating heartily and enthusiastically, watched sadly by the house ghosts.

"I can't believe we're all in Gryffindor!" I exclaimed.

"I know," Rose replied, skewering a sausage on the end of her fork. "I thought for sure the hat was going to put me in Ravenclaw, it was going on about it for a while…"

"Me, too! It was really considering it, but on the whole, it decided that Gryffindor would be…" Scorpius trailed off, glancing uneasily at me. There must have been a strange sort of expression on my face. "Al?"

"It told me I lacked the application to my studies for Ravenclaw," I admitted, feeling my ears go red. Instead of mirroring the disapproving look on Rose's face, Scorpius let out a guffaw of laughter and thumped me on the back.

"Good! That's why it decided against it for me!"

I grinned at him, feeling instantly less stupid. Rose was peering down the table now, patently not paying attention to our conversation.

"Have you seen the Gryffindor ghost? Apparently he's almost completely decapitated!"

"Yeah, that's why they call him Nearly Headless Nick!" Kian Finnigan was saying to Dylan Wood, apparently cheered up from his separation from Ryan.

Violet Fuller and Laurel Corner were chatting with Ethan Longhurst and Alexia Jackson about their families a few seats away from us.

"My mum's a witch," Violet was saying. "But my dad's a chemist, sort of like a muggle potioneer. He makes muggle medicine. He was expecting me to get in, though, he was pretty happy about it. He wants me to be a healer when I grow up, y'see."

"Yeah, well, neither of my parents is magic, so they nearly fainted when Professor Longbottom showed up to tell them I'd been accepted to Hogwarts! I thought that he was having a laugh at first…" Ethan chipped in, grinning at the memory.

I turned back to Scorpius, intent on swapping stories about when we first got our Hogwarts letters, but he was gazing off into the distance with a look of utter horror on his face.

"Scor, what's wrong?" Rose whispered, catching on to his mood a few seconds quicker than I did.

"What's my dad going to say when he finds out I'm in Gryffindor?" he muttered, panic setting in behind his eyes.

"He'll be fine about it," Rose soothed, patting his arm. I nodded along earnestly, desperately hoping that he'd cheer up and not look so downtrodden. It was our first night here, he wasn't supposed to look like that!

"It'll be okay, Scorp!" I promised, though I didn't sound very convincing.

Scorpius remained quiet all the way through the rest of the feast. He still looked a little green as we followed our prefects – our cousin Roxanne and her friend Dalton Cadwallader – up the seven flights of stairs to a portrait of a very fat lady in a pink dress.

"Password?" she demanded.

"_Tempus Fugit,_" Roxy said clearly.

"Precisely," the fat lady nodded, and swung open to reveal a round hole for us to all scramble through. Scorpius gave Rose a leg up so that she could get through it with a little bit of grace, which was very considerate of him.

We emerged into a large, circular room, full of burnished tables and soft, inviting armchairs. A crackling fire was spreading a warming glow over the red-and-gold decorations. I grinned to myself. This place felt as good as home.

Scorpius seemed marginally less concerned as we bade Rose goodnight and began to climb the stairs to the boys' dormitories. Kian Finnigan and Ethan Longhurst had claimed the two beds nearest the door, and Dylan Wood was on the other side of them. Scorpius and I looked over to the two beds reserved for us and set about unpacking our trunks, changing into pyjamas and wriggling under the warm covers.

"Night, Scorp," I whispered, just before I drew the red-and-gold hangings shut.

"Night, Al," he replied, and I heard a little more life in his voice. Hopefully by the morning he would have forgotten about what his dad would say, and focus on enjoying the experience of our first real day in the castle.

I didn't even notice my head hitting the pillow, and I was out like a light.

* * *

**A/N - _If you've read my other fics, you'll know that this sorting is different to the way the other's went. I decided to try something new. You'll also notice that Sophie Avery is cheekily inserted into the first part of this, and that Al said she's pretty. (I couldn't resist, I got quite attached to her in Scorpius' Sting)_**

**_Cheers for reading, guys!_**

**_PJ_**

**_x_**


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